Backpacker's death in Italy linked to deep vein thrombosis

Died on Contiki tour ... Madelaine Crawley, the 23-year-old from Pottsville who attended Kingscliff High School, who died suddenly in Rome. Source: The Daily Telegraph
TWEED Coast backpacker Madelaine Crawley may have died from complications from Deep Vein Thrombosis, according to preliminary medical tests in Italy.
The attractive 23-year-old, who had been enjoying the holiday of a lifetime on a Contiki tour through Europe, was found motionless in her bed the morning after a party at Contiki's Seven Hills camping ground in Rome on Thursday.
She had suffered massive cardiac arrest and was rushed to hospital but could not be revived.
Initial media reports from Italian newspapers claimed she may have died after consuming a deadly cocktail of alcohol and drugs, but Madelaine's uncle Bruce Melville this afternoon said doctors believe DVT, a condition involving blood clots in veins after extended periods of air travel, was the most likely cause.
Untreated, DVT, often nicknamed economy class syndrome, claims the life of about three per cent of patients, with the risk of clots travelling to major organs such as lungs or the heart.


23-year-old, who had been enjoying the holiday of a lifetime on a Contiki tour through Europe, was found motionless in her bed the morning after a party at Contiki's camping ground in Rome on Thursday.


The Tweed Coast resort worker suffered a cardiac arrest and was rushed to hospital but could not be revived.


Initial media reports in Italian newspapers claimed she may have died after consuming a cocktail of alcohol and drugs.


But Madelaine's uncle Bruce Melville yesterday said doctors believed DVT, a condition that caused blood clots in veins after extended periods of air travel, was the most likely trigger for the massive heart attack.